US, Afghanistan Sign Draft of Strategic Partnership Agreement
April 27, 2012
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks at a news conference at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels, April 18, 2012.
The U.S. and Afghan governments have finalized the initial draft of a strategic partnership agreement. The deal insures American military and financial support for the Afghan people for at least a decade beyond 2014, the deadline for most foreign combat forces to withdraw.
U.S. troops and Afghan security forces have fought on the front lines together. They have worked together to build up the Afghan Army and police force. And billions of dollars have poured into the country to boost the economy.
Now the new strategic partnership agreement shows Afghanistan the U.S. will not completely leave the country after 2014.
“NATO and its partners cannot and will not abandon Afghanistan after 2014. Our ongoing support will be essential to preserving and building on the gains we’ve made thus far,” said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Western nations are negotiating how much to spend to support Afghan security forces following 2014. Analysts say whatever the cost, it will be far less than the more than $100 billion being spent this year.
Lisa Curtis is a South Asia specialist at The Heritage Foundation.
“Providing say two to three billion [dollars] to sustain Afghan security forces after 2014 seems like a pretty good bargain to ensure the U.S. is not attacked again - that we don’t have another type of 9/11 attack on the U.S. homeland,” she said.
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